Minister's Head Split Open by Police While Leading Peaceful Protest in California
As protests continue in Berkeley, California, reports of police action and possible offenses have come to light. One of those allegedly injured by police includes intern minister Cindy Pincus, who showed she had a split head after being hit by a police baton.
"The police began walking forward and in 2-3 seconds were pressed up against us with their batons held parallel between them and us," Pincus told the Berkeley Side. "I shouted, 'Be calm, be calm, we're peaceful!' And they kept walking forward. I looked to the left and a police officer had begun jabbing a protestor with the end of his baton. I turned around to retreat and passed a woman who had fallen and was being trampled. I bent down to pick her up under one armpit while another woman grabbed her other arm."
"As we were lifting her backwards I saw an officer raise his baton over my shoulder and was struck on the back of the head as I was bent forward. My vision momentarily blacked out and I saw stars. I put my hand to the back of my head and started running. I felt a welt rise immediately and blood ran down my neck and covered my hand," Pincus added.
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Pincus, a Unitarian Universalist minister and seminary student at the Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley, was part of the peaceful protests led by ministers and fellow seminary students. Berkeley has seen three nights of protests in response to the cases of Michael Brown and Eric Garner, in which grand juries decided not to indict police officers involved in their deaths. While Pincus and others may have been part of peaceful protests, there has also been violence and clashes with authorities.
"The people in the Bay Area are sensitive to worldwide issues," Berkeley Mayor Tom Bates told The Associated Press. "Unfortunately, there is a small element that uses violence at times to make their point."
